How to NOT make a pipe bomb...

What is it that keeps a Zippo lighter or a sealed alcohol lamp from exploding?

I want to take a copper pipe, put a wick into it, crimp it around the wick at the top, seal the bottom with a screw cap, fill it with fuel and light it.
I want it to be a lamp, not a pipe-bomb.

What do I need to be concerned about to keep it from exploding?

 

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By the way, what material are Zippo wicks made from?

 

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You should take the necessary precautions,..I recommend adding a little salt peter, a dash of nitroglycerine and giving it a good shake before sticking it between your legs and carefully lighting the wick with an oxy-acetylene torch.

Can't be too careful mind!

 

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Thanks!
I can always count on you for solid advice.
I should probably use a fast-burning wick too.

 

Don't listen to him, he's just messing you around.
An oxy acetylene torch wont be hot enough. You need Thermite.

 

What keeps it from exploding? Lack of air, inside the vessel. An explosion is rapid combustion, combustion needs an oxidising agent, ie, Oxygen from air. There is only fuel inside your tube.

What you are describing sounds like a home made oil lamp, as lamps can be bought for very little cash, I have to ask, why bother?

I'd buy lamp wicks, to use as a wick. If you try to use rope, you might find it has some synthetic fibres, which will melt and clog up when you try and light it. Or you could roll up some cotton sheet, if you are sure it's 100% cotton.

 

Once some of the fuel burns, there will be air inside the chamber.
Alcohol lamps are not filled to the brim with fuel.

I am doing it because it is enjoyable to design things and make them with my hands.

 

Most wicks go right to the bottom of the container, they draw the fuel up as it's burnt off. This means that oxygen doesn't necessarily have to get into the container, afterall a fuel will still have vapours even when most of the liquid is spent.

Kerosene (Paraffin) is probably a better fuel for a lamp, just make sure you don't get any cheap "Mixes".

Better still why not try Olive Oil?

Good on you, it's better than having someone ask you "So what have you been up to?" and all you can answer is "Nothing.".

 

So, what do I need to be concerned about in the design in order to make sure it doesn't explode?
I can't make the wick opening fully air-tight, because the wick needs to be replaced from time to time, and if it is that tight, the fibers would be packed too tightly for the fuel to come through efficiently enough to kee burning.
Besides, those cheap alcohol lamps they use at the restaraunts are not air-tight - if you squeeze them, you hear air escaping.
I do want it to be sealed and drip-free, however.

I was thinking about a flavored kerosine. I want something that burns as cleanly as possible, and I'm not sure what that is. I haven't looked into fuel options that much yet.

Thanks for the link - I will check it out right now.

 

The saturation of the wick will help seal out the combustion air for you, without the necessity of "airtight" construction. You just have to make sure that there is a throttle point along the wick sufficiently tight so that incoming air (and thus incoming flame) has to get through the outflowing, oxygen-deficient, liquid state, fuel.

Given a tight enough wick throttle, the evaporated fuel inside should saturate the volume and prevent stray internal combustion in normal operating circumstances.

My two cents.

 

iceaura,
Your two cents is generally worth more than someone else's five dollars. Thank you.

Stryder,
That link is great. It is giving me some ideas for that old fishbowl I have been wondering what I was going to do with. I don't think olive oil is quite right for this project, however. The wick is going to be at least 8 inches long, and I think the olive oil will be too thick to travel the length of it sufficiently.